woot! woot!

i’ve signed on with Gallery 133 in toronto – avenue rd and eglinton in the design district.  i met with vanessa today and she walked away with a bunch of my works for the gallery. if you’re in the area, go have a peak at their massive space filled with delectable art…

www.gallery133.com

august has been a heavy month on the art front. an article appeared in the globe and mail newspaper featuring my work, and i’ve had two blog mentions – dirtymouse from the UK and mint blog from a designer in north carolina.  thanks for the mentions and the website hits!

finally, i will have a painting up for auction at the 2nd annual mayor’s gala for the arts happening in chatham, ontario on saturday, august 22, 2009.  the proceeds will benefit the restoration of the historic capitol theatre, so go support the cause!

Pinkwall 2 – up for auction!

scroll down the sidebar to the right to bookmark my blog to Facebook, Delicious, Technorati, etc….   why I didn’t do this sooner, I don’t know….

g.

i’ve been threatening to try oil painting for a while now, and have secretly been experimenting in my basement over the last few months.   the thing with oils is, well they’re a lot messier than pastels, believe it or not, and as such require a whole lot more cleanup time.  add to that the fact that i have two inquisitive children, one a 2 1/2 year old artist who would love nothing more than to squish oil paint and varnish between her toes, and you can see my need to keep things on the down-low.

so i thought i should post some results,  if for no other reason than to force myself headlong into the deep end.   there’s no turning back now.

- gordon

ps.  besides the cleanup time,  there’s an abundance of smell involved (some of it ain’t good).  anyone with an old stove vent to give away?

Camper, by Gordon Leverton

untitled, by Gordon Leverton 2009

untitled, by Gordon Leverton 2009

untitled, by Gordon Leverton 2009

untitled, by Gordon Leverton 2009

Thanks to all who came out to my open house during the Southwest Hamilton Artists 10th annual studio tour. Despite the pouring rain and nasty winds, the turnout was amazing and the outpouring of positive vibes was fantastic! I hope to see you all throughout the summer and look forward to my next open house in December.

Thanks also to the person who donated 125 volunteer hours for my painting, “Rising High” at the first annual Hamilton Timeraiser. From all angles it looked like a great success and best of all many Hamilton and area charities will benefit.

June is a heavy month, kicking off the outdoor season with the Riverdale Art Walk in Jimmie Simpson Park, Toronto on June 6 and 7. This rain or shine event features close to one hundred juried fine artists and many local galleries throughout the Queen Street East district. And it’s free!

Art-2009 makes its debut at the Toronto Convention Centre on June 12, 13 and 14. This charity event, benefiting the Toronto Sick Kids Foundation will feature a plethora of cultural events, including live music, demonstrations and 300 visual artists from around the world! For more info check their website and look for me in Booth #1513.

The beautiful lakeside village of Bayfield, Ontario celebrates its annual Sail & Canvas weekend on June 20 & 21, 2009, kicking off the summer season with festival of artists, food, music and fun for all ages. Join me at Marten Arts Gallery on Main Street for the opening of my latest solo show “Paper Thin City” – Sat. June 20 from noon – 5pm.

where did March go?!

my head was down all month, mostly framing pictures and getting ready for The Artist Project which took place from the 5th to the 8th.   the show was very professionally done, with a gala opening night wine & cheese event and other civilities.  i’ll be back next year!  some of the artist highlights for me:

heather kocsis – 3d wall sculptures using found objects;

nina sampaleanu – encaustic (!) wall sculptures (can you tell i like wall sculptures?)

nava waxman – irridescent encaustic wax paintings (but check her drawings as well)

amy gillespie – fabulously arranged wood and fabric creations

lorraine roy – stunning textile paintings

paul saari – wonderful and imaginative

fausta facciponte – not for everyone but definitely for me

every february i think of the same things: how i’m always sick on valentine’s day, and my grade 5 teacher, mrs. bateman, who used to make us repeat the word “feb-RU-ary” over & over til we got it right….

… Absorb 2009 is coming up on valentine’s day and i have a piece entered into their juried competition, “In the Red”

— for all the fun, head down to the Pepper Jack Cafe in Hamilton on Sat., Feb. 14.

“untitled (red)” c. 2009, Gordon Leverton,

…near the end of the month, on Feb. 28,  McMaster University in Hamilton is holding their annual Global Citizens Conference and Art Show in the Students Centre.  I will have a selection of Hamilton-inspired paintings on display along with a number of other local artists – go see, it’s free.

… on the same day, Mother Goose Co-operative preschool is holding their big annual fundraiser, Martini Night & Silent Auction.  this year’s theme is “masquerade” and there will be the usual slate of activities such as: live band, wine raffle, 50/50 draw, fine cuisine, live auction, silent auction and MARTINIS!  i will have a painting in the live auction, so if you’re looking to purchase one of my works for less than retail, tonight’s the night.  other  artists donating works include Nancy Benoy, Sandee Ewasiuk, Siobhan Lynch, Tara Lynne Franco, David Irvine, Rod Paget and more..

important details about The Artist Project next week, once i get my booth number…

g.

Hi all,

after some time away, I have truly figured out what this blog needs and that is more of me (well at least my presence, more often). so to ensure that i’m around more often, i’ve taken to listing my available works with prices, dimensions, etc, as well as where they can be purchased. this is intended to be a quick ‘n’ easy companion to my website – www.gordonleverton.com – plus it will show those galleries that i’m really really tech-savvy and serious about my career.

as always, i’m willing to listen to your advice, however i can’t promise anything beyond that….

g.

Hi all,

I lost count of how many winter storms we had last month in southern Ontario. What better thing for a hibernating artist to do but get busy with work? Last week I finished five pieces and am on the fast track to the beginning of this year’s show season. Speaking of which….

I’ll be returning to Toronto’s urbanscape gallery this month for the show “my City; urban artworks”, a group show focusing on each artist’s unique take on their own urban sphere. Opening reception will be on Friday, Feb. 29 from 7 – 10pm and the show runs from Feb. 28 – March 12. Can’t wait to get back to the Junction!

There was a great turnout for the Propeller Centre’s annual winter auction in January. The Queen West artist-run centre was overrun with wall to wall art from member’s and invited guests (including yours truly). I was most fortunate to meet Annette Hansen, owner of Cobalt Gallery, who gave me an opportunity to show alongside Garilla Prints in a themed show titled “Reflecting…”. Opening reception is Sat., Mar. 8 from 2-5pm. and runs to Mar. 31.

Toronto artist Kurt Rostek and I will be occupying the beautiful, sunlit space of Sunrise Gallery from April 5 to the 25th. This beachfront gallery on Lake Ontario earns a visit in its own right, so drop by on Sat. Apr. 5 from 2 – 5pm for the opening – we’ll both be there!

Flyers for the 9th annual Southwest Hamilton Artists Studio Tour will be out very soon so check your local coffee shop for a copy. Better yet, contact me and I will make sure you get one. More info in the next email but mark Mother’s Day weekend on your calendar (May 10-11).

Finally, It was a blast to be involved with the annual Martini Night and Silent Auction for Mother Goose Preschool on Feb. 9. The organizing committee did a wonderful job dressing up the “church” and raised lots of money for the school. Congrats to Joe & Lois, the winning bidders of my painting “Coming of Age” – hopefully they’re still pleased after the hangover!

contact:
urbanscape gallery – 2959 Dundas Street West (between Keele St. and Pacific Ave.), Toronto – 416.850.0021
Cobalt Gallery – 870a Kingston Rd. (@ Beech Rd.), Toronto – 416.694.0156
Sunrise Gallery – 765 Beach Boulevard, Hamilton – 905.549.5888
Gordon Leverton – 905.525.9874

cheers,
Gord

L-R:  1) “Convenience”, 2) “Construct”, 3) “Congestion”, 4) “Peak”, 5) “Favela 19″, 6) “Noonday Sun” – all images (c) 2008, Gordon Leverton, all rights reserved.

the last two weeks have been hectic! the AGH art sale last week was a success and i was fortunate to make new friends and see some past clients. i spent hallowe’en carrying around a flu bug, and we couldn’t find the kids’ costumes until the very last minute (now THAT’S stress!). but i’m sitting comfortably in the “trough” of activity, with the AGH sale behind me and TWO openings this coming weekend…

first, i’m very excited to be coming back to Mixed Media, the site of my first showing. the opening happens this friday, nov. 9, 2007 at 174 james street north in hamilton. thanks to dave and theresa for taking me on at the last minute (whew). if you haven’t been to mixed media before, it’s an art supply/bookstore/clothing store – well, let’s just call it a “lifestyle store” – focusing very much on eco-friendly, renewable, artsy fartsy stuff. it’s probably my favourite place to purchase consumer goods in the city. my show runs til dec.1.

this saturday sees the opening of the show “Drawing”, at the Glenhyrst Gallery of Brant in Brantford, Ontario (home to Wayne Gretzky, Alexander Graham Bell, Phil Hartman and Lawren Harris). the gallery is located in an historical homestead on a huge lot and is worth the visit itself. this show runs until dec. 20th.

the last two weeks have been hectic! the AGH art sale last week was a success and i was fortunate to make new friends and see some past clients. i spent hallowe’en carrying around a flu bug, and we couldn’t find the kids’ costumes until the very last minute (now THAT’S stress!). but i’m sitting comfortably in the “trough” of activity, with the AGH sale behind me and TWO openings this coming weekend…

first, i’m very excited to be coming back to Mixed Media, the site of my first showing. the opening happens this friday, nov. 9, 2007 at 174 james street north in hamilton. thanks to dave and theresa for taking me on at the last minute (whew). if you haven’t been to mixed media before, it’s an art supply/bookstore/clothing store – well, let’s just call it a “lifestyle store” – focusing very much on eco-friendly, renewable, artsy fartsy stuff. it’s probably my favourite place to purchase consumer goods in the city. my show runs til dec.1.

this saturday sees the opening of the show “Drawing”, at the Glenhyrst Gallery of Brant in Brantford, Ontario (home to Wayne Gretzky, Alexander Graham Bell, Phil Hartman and Lawren Harris). the gallery is located in an historical homestead on a huge lot and is worth the visit itself. this show runs until dec. 20th.